about facing life with hope and confidence, no matter the diagnosis

I write because so many people have told me to write a book about my life, but I have always felt no one would believe this "stranger than fiction" life if I did write it all down. However, after my Dad died, I was continually plagued with his last requests-write your story, Cindy. God has given it to you for a reason. You can help people by showing them what God has done for you through the trials and tribulations of your life.
And so this blog...because I don't know how to write a book. I write just like I talk. So just expect stories where God has been protecting me, teaching me, molding me, refining me and that means through fire! I never know what to expect next nor should you. Seek the Lord while He may be found.

Posts Tagged ‘Christianity’

However, I have just been through the hardest months of my life! As I look back over all I have ever been through, I have often wondered, except for the Lord, I know I would have never made it! That is certainly true of these last few months! Except that this time, I got impatient and angry. I decided it wasn’t fair, in all honesty. I had just had enough. You see in October, I contracted this weird inner ear/balance issue called labrynthitis. Didn’t really get over that before I came down with MRSA and then had to be treated with IV antibiotics, the first two of which was highly allergic to! But I went every single day from Thanksgiving until February 1, eventually having to have surgery to clean it out. It is a nasty bug and it can always come back. Then February 4th, I went into the hospital with clots and severe asthma. I spent a week in the hospital with that.

The Lord says He always has a purpose for what He allows in our lives. He definitely believes in “those teachable moments.” Mine came Friday night watching some different people on Christian TV (the 5th). There were so many things said that just broke my heart. I could see that I was exactly where I needed to be. I had already been introduced to new doctors that for the first time in my life actually seemed to get that certain issues that I thought should be addressed would be addressed. Hopefully this isn’t TMI, but I have a clotting problem obviously as this is the third time for clots in my lungs (see my posts from July 2012) and I have had 3 strokes. The hematologist asked me if I was northern European by descent (Scottish, Irish, English)-yes to all. It turns out, they have a known clotting issue. So I find out on this Tuesday if that is one of my problems. The pulmonologist is also first-rate. He has seen me 3 times since I got out of the hospital, even had to send me back last week as I was in the middle of another attack plus bronchitis. He does believe that there are medicines that with the right testing, my life can be turned around. But mostly, I realized, I needed an attitude adjustment!!

On top of that three weeks to the day that I had gone into the hospital, I had to put my husband in as his heart began to fail again. Unfortunately some very poor cardiologists made some bad choices for him in taking him off of his heart medications in the last 2 years and that is pretty much why he is in trouble now, according to the new cardiologist we have. Please pray for him especially! He has prescribed a brand new congested heart failure medicine for him, plus there is going to be lots of new testing in the next several months. We are hoping that he won’t have to have a new pacemaker/defibrillator installed in the fall.

Today’s devotional from JESUS CALLING by SARAH YOUNG is very special to me.

“Trust Me One Day At A Time. This keeps you close to Me, responsive to My will. Trust is not a natural response, especially for those of you who have been deeply wounded. My Spirit within you is your resident Tutor, helping you in this supernatural endeavor. Yield to His gentle touch; be sensitive to His prompting.

Exert your will to trust Me in all circumstances. Don’t let your need to understand distract you from My Presence. I will equip you to get through this day victoriously, as you live in deep dependence on Me. Tomorrow is busy worrying about itself; don’t get tangled up in its worry-webs. Trust Me one day at a time.”

Psalm 84:12 O Lord Almighty, blessed is the man who trust in you.

Matthew 6:34 therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

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Please understand that I am NOT saying that I do this well at all! I don’t. I haven’t. I am trying. I am sharing this out of my deepest thankfulness for people in my life who have loved me, prayed for me, supported me, cared for me anyway-even when I was so desperate and angry and so weary I wasn’t sure I could go on. Thank the Savior that He understands all of this. That there is such infinite GRACE!

This morning when I woke up I was honestly a little tired as I had an 18 hour day the day before. But the Lord said to me, “Get up! I want time with you this morning!” So hard as it was, I got up. How happy I am that I was obedient!

Today, the Lord took me to Proverbs 2: 1-7 in particular, but the whole chapter is good! Let me write out those seven verses for you. If you will receive My sayings and treasure them within your heart. Make your ear attentive to wisdom. Incline your heart to understanding: For if you cry for discernment, Lift your voice for understanding: If you see her as silver and search for her as for hidden treasure; Then you will discern the fear of the Lord, and the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom; From His mouth comes knowledge and understanding. He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk in integrity.

What was amazing about this particular passage was that I have been praying for wisdom and discernment and knowledge. And here is the Lord reminding me, because all of these verses were underlined in my Bible from previous readings, that all I need to do is ask Him. I have hidden away His sayings in heart for many years now. Still, I am not always wise in my words. This is something I really desire. And so I have been praying and asking. First it was for the right family words and He even opened my eyes to Christian authors who write the best books on family relationships I have ever read. Today, though, He gave me the answers I had been seeking to a presentation I have to make with my partner in November. It is extremely important. I didn’t even know quite how to start, but my Lord did and laid it out. It was quite amazing. It will involve everyone that is attending, which is exactly how it will succeed.

As I was sharing the scripture that I had gotten this morning with my husband and then my feeling the pressure of the presentation, to say what I know. He replied that in my little grey cells (brain) I have so much stuff stored there from 36 years of recruiting that he was confident, I would put it together. I have always been so fortunate to have him so supportive of me and what I do. He was so confident. Then later as I began to speak with my partner and this all came together (of course after I had read him the same passage!) all I could do with every idea was say, “thank you, Lord Jesus.”

So all of this is just more confirmation that He is going to continue to heal me. I am better today. My blood pressure was lower this morning than in a long time. I am starting to walk carefully, unassisted, for short distances! Really great after 22 days!

I know that I have said time and again how faithful our Lord is, but this summer again in particular instances, He has shown once again how loving and involved in each life, He is! As I speak with people each day, I am still astounded at how He leads me to certain people who either need Him or know Him and we can rejoice together! As usual there have been physical challenges as well, part of the reason I haven’t written as much. I have found that most of the time it has been all I could do to do my work for the day. I had thought that after I had back surgery to remove a cyst off of my spine which had wrapped itself around several nerves and caused me great pain and difficulty walking, was really past the bad stuff! I have had blocks in my neck before and I did need that before we were finished with everything. Unfortunately my problem is at C2/3 and they cannot fuse it or I could never move my head again! So I was told the best thing was to burn the nerves and that would take care of the pain. The problem though, has been an extreme side effect called Ataxia. You lose the control of your legs. Sometimes I am walking and it is just as if I don’t have any legs at all, they give out on me. So I fall or just sit down abruptly. Most of the time, when I am walking, though, my legs just look spastic. My doc has assured me that this will clear up within another week! I hope so. So far, it has been 3 weeks today. What I have read, says 7-10 days. Physical therapy will start working with me this week and see if we can speed up the process.

My other issue is spiking blood pressure. It goes very high and then will get down to a reasonable level. We are working with new meds on that! This is a problem that my mother had. Hers would just go up and down and up and down too. Its very weird. I have a great internist though and like I said brand new medicine to take.

So any of you who know me would know that I would go straight to my Lord God about all this. He has set my path. I know this like I know the back of my hand. Yesterday, He reached out to me through my devotional. Many of you know I read Jesus Calling by Sarah Young. So yesterday was talking about the human body and inevitable effects of aging. That even if I were a superb athlete, which I am NOT, most cannot maintain their fitness over many decades. But this is specifically what it said ” Do not be anxious about the weakness of your body. Instead, view it as the prelude to My infusing energy into your being. Though the process of aging continues, inwardly you grow stronger with the passing years. Those who live close to Me develop an inner aliveness that makes them seem youthful in spite of their years. Let my Life shine through you, and you walk in the Light with Me.” Isn’t that beautiful? And of course the first scripture verse was Psalm 139:14 I will give thanks to Thee, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. This particular scripture is one that I have really gone to the Lord about many times in my life. If you’ve read my stories, you know that I don’t have a perfect body according to human eyes, human thoughts. What My Lord has taught me through all of these things is that I must depend on Him for my very breath and heartbeat; that the people he has me meet through the issues are put there for a purpose. So please pray that I will be mindful of these things as I recover!

I mentioned that God had been faithful, oh so faithful. I cannot begin to count the ways and He wouldn’t want me to! But He has just blessed us so incredibly this summer in ways we never would have dreamed. Still, our Lord knows our heart and our deepest longings. I believe that if we are faithful to Him, He answers us!!! One of the ways I can talk about is my business that finally it seems that it is coming together. I know that I am going to get better as God even went before me and has arranged a business trip (short) to Houston in 3 weeks. I have been wanting to go for a year and now it has all come together in perfect timing for everyone. I know my Lord. I will be ready.

One last thing I will leave you with is from my devotional today. “The Lord gives and the Lord takes away. Blessed be the name of the Lord. Remember that all good things-your possessions, your family and friends, your health and abilities, your time- are gifts from ME. Instead of feeling entitled to all these blessings, respond to them with gratitude. Be prepared to let go of anything I take from you, but never let go of My Hand!” Psalm 139:23-24 Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; And see if there be any hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way.

Believe me, this is a truth from the Lord. I have had this happen. But He has restored everything. Now, I have to hold onto the lesson.

There has been a lot of questions, comments from both the “Christian” and secular world. Before anyone reads what I have written, please understand, I am not condemning anyone for an action they may have taken. God is always there to forgive. He says that He forgives all sin even your rejection of Him right up until you die-then it’s too late. I know that’s why Jesus came, because God is love and mercy and grace. But He also requires repentance and acceptance of His Son’s sacrifice, not so that you have to obey a bunch of rules and regulations and “conform.” But so that HE alone, who loves you so much, comes inside that body, that spirit-regardless of what you’ve done, where you’ve been, what you’ve said–and makes you clean and pure again. It’s really a miracle in and of itself. So understand please, I am not holding myself up as a paragon of virtue, but a sinner who found a savior.

I wrote this paragraph below in response to someone’s query of God help us…in response to the videos. He gets a lot of readers to his posts. then I thought I could do no less.

In Psalm 139, it says that God is there when our innermost parts are knit together. Why in the world does no one think that abortion is not murder for convenience? Now that they can sell body parts, it has become about that too. No wonder God has taken His Hand of protection off of America. How can He bear looking down upon our world today?
The disciples asked Jesus when they could look for His coming again. He said, “When it is like the days of Noah.” I would challenge anyone to go back and read about the wickedness on the earth when God was grieved that He had even created man. Yet found one good man, Noah. Noah and his family were saved because Noah listened and believed.
If we were to look around today at the wickedness in our world, I am sure that those in Noah’s world, could not have even imagined such evil! And yet the Lord delays. I am sure it is for that last one to come to know Him in a personal way. They say that thousands in China and across Asia come to Jesus everyday. People in India, and in so many Muslim countries are seeing visions of Jesus or dreaming of Him because that is the only way they might hear of Him, but they want to know the TRUE GOD.
The TRUE GOD says in the book of Isaiah, Seek me, and you will find me.
God is not a liar. Try Him, anyone who reads this and doesn’t know Him.

Something marvelous happened today to me through work and I thought I would share it quickly. I do share my faith often with people who I am working with as you may know. In this particular case, a brand new firm that I hope to do business with, the Managing Partner told me last night that unfortunately she would be out today as her daughter was having surgery. I simply remarked that I would pray for her daughter, which I did. What was amazing was the email conversation that started as a result. That Managing Partner is a fellow believer in Christ. I asked when the surgery was taking place and it was happening as we were emailing. I had already been praying in my spirit, but I stopped everything and began to pray in earnest for this precious daughter. The Lord indicated to me that it was a tumor before I was even told it was a tumor. So I did know how to pray. I wasn’t positive, but I thought I knew what the leading was. When I wrote back and asked “how are things now?” I was told the daughter was out surgery and the tumor looks to be benign. Of course, I was praising God, my amazing, wonderful God for answering our prayers. Two mothers praying together for a daughter. Then I thought, how terrible of me, to not have expected this of my Lord. He answers prayers all the time. The problem is we don’t pray together, believing Him. He who put the stars and the sun and the moon in their places! He can do anything!

I read from Sarah Young and her Jesus Calling devotional. Today it says, TRUST ME IN EVERY DETAIL OF YOUR LIFE. nothing is random in My kingdom. Everything that happens first into a pattern for good, to those who love Me. Instead of trying to analyze the intricacies of the pattern, focus your energy on trusting Me and thanking Me at all times. Nothing is wasted when you walk close to Me. Even your mistakes and sins can be recycled into something good through My transforminggrace.

While you were living in darkness, I began to shine the Light of My Presence into your sin-stained life. Finally I lifted you up out of the mire into My marvelous Light. Having sacrificed My very Life for you, I can be trusted in very facet of your life.

“But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him.” Jeremiah 17:7

We are assured and know that [God being a partner in their labor] all things work together and are [fitting into a plan] for good to and for those who love God and are called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28 AMP

“he drew me up out of a horrible pit {a pit of tumult and of destruction], out of the miry clay (froth and slime), and set my feet upon a rock, steadying my steps and establishing my goings.” Psalm 40:2

“But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” I Peter 2:9

Isaiah 64: 8 says Yet, O Lord, you are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are the work of your hand.

Isaiah 45:9 Woe to him who quarrels with his Maker, to him who is but a potsherd among the potsherds on the ground. Does the clay say to the potter, ‘What are you making?’ Does your work say, ‘He has no hands?’

Psalm 139: 13-16 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

His love cannot be separated from us, His family and He allows events, health, our families, our jobs, affect/effect, knowing what His overall plan is. Wow that was a mouth full!

What our Lord wants us to do, He says is whenever anything happens, even if we aren’t already right in tune with Him, all we have to do is call out His name! Jesus!

Looking forward to the new year can be exciting. It can also be a time of fear, especially in light of the events going on in our world right now. As I have been reading my Bible, I am reminded of a favorite scripture: “For I know the plans I have for you, ” declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11. As I refresh myself in the Peace of His Presence, I have gone back to Psalm 31: 19-20 How great is Your goodness, which You have stored up for those who fear You, which You have wrought for those who take refuge in You before the sons of men! You hide them in the secret place of Your presence from the conspiracies of man; You keep them secretly in a shelter from the strife of tongues. And John 16:33 “I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace and confidence. In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration; but be of good cheer [take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted]! For I have overcome the world. [I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.]

You may be saying that is all well and good Cindy, but how do I actually do it? I understand the question. I had to ask the Lord also because even people like me who know Lord well and know the scriptures well, have difficult times in their lives. Family, jobs, finances, friends, community circumstances, can separately or combine to make even the “strongest Christian” buckle. These things are exactly why we have issues in the churches, in marriages, in families that we do. Who then is the enemy? I’ve said it before. Satan is the enemy. He gets in and will do his best to mess up any family that’s just trying to get along, just trying to go to church, get ahead , just a little. One doesn’t have to be zealous for him to go after that family, because he doesn’t want anybody anywhere in a Christian church. The name of Jesus Christ [Christ means Messiah] offends many. That’s exactly why you can have little Muslim children praying to Allah in Maryland 5 times a day out of the classroom, but what do you think the uproar would be if you asked for Christian children to be allowed to come out of the classroom even once a day to pray to Jesus Christ? Sorry, I guess I could be considered a zealot for my Jesus!

I know that if I go to Him day by day, I can achieve a victorious life regardless of my circumstances around me. He has been teaching me that for the past several years. It has been a very hard one battle. A very close battle, because as you know there were times I was fighting for my life. There have been times that it has been difficult financially because my husband is retired on social security and I live on commission and so I very much depend on the Lord and what He does in my business. But as Paul said, I have learned to live on what HE gives me and it is enough. I don’t desire more than HE gives. There are so many scriptures that have uplifted me through these years that I cannot begin to list them all, but please indulge as I list a few: The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles.The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. Palm 34: 17-18

For we walk by faith, not by sight. 2 Corinthians 5:7;

Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations forever! Amen. Ephesians 3: 20-21

Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus I Thessalonians 5:18 I feel a need to give a bit of commentary here. God did NOT make the bad circumstances, He allowed them. There is a huge difference. Satan always means it for bad, but God can bring good out of the bad. It is a matter of trust.

God is our refuge and strength, an ever present help in trouble. Psalm 46: 1

You know my husband is always saying life with me is never dull! Even though we have not had any late night trips to the ER or terrible illnesses or anything health wise and that was what our life for many years was built around. Now we live in a place I will call almost Paradise. I had on short sleeves today after church, my long sleeve sweater slung over my shoulders. Yesterday we had gone down to the beach to a funky little place a friend had told us about, for lunch. This was a different beach area than we had visited before so we got out and walked around a bit, a gallery, a music and art store–all funky and fun, before going on to walk on the beach. We will go back again I hope!

What I am saying in my long-winded way is “don’t be afraid” God is right there, reaching out to you. Reach back, He will take your hand. Tell Him you aren’t even sure if He’s real or there. But I assure you HE IS! Just because you doubt, doesn’t make Him less so GOD! You were created with knowledge of Him, yep, deep down in that heart and soul of yours. And in the quiet of the night, perhaps when everything isn’t so great, because let’s face it NOBODY’S LIFE IS PERFECT ALL THE TIME, that’s the perfect time to reach out. He’ll be there. I do stake my life on it.

I know I am very behind in my posts. I do apologize. The last two months especially have been very long, draining days. Not that they weren’t exciting and fulfilling, but every minute seemed to be scheduled with clients and candidates and that’s where my focus had to be. Often I was prepping early or late and so there just wasn’t the down time from before. BELIEVE ME, I am not complaining! This has been more of a gift from God in so many ways I cannot begin to tell you. I would love to give you all the little details about how our Lord is so involved in every aspect of our lives, but of course, confidentiality must win! The great little secret though is starting off your day with the Lord! Don’t tell me for one minute He hasn’t known exactly what I was going to be reading for my day and what I would need, because of course, He always does. Praying before I start my calls, makes the difference, I am convinced. Do I get everyone I want? No, but I get everyone the Lord wants me to work with. I know that’s why I am “doing better” this year, in recruiter numbers, but hopefully more importantly in lives changed for the better, people I’ve spoken to sent on their way-better. Whatever it is that I am supposed to do or say for someone who comes into my sphere that day, that is what I am counting on my God, to open my mouth or put in my mind. He of course, never lets me down!

My husband and I were able to travel and see our children and grandchildren this past week for the holiday. Another thing I am grateful for-a boss who knew when I needed a break! I was able to see my brother and 3 sisters and families too! A whole lot of cooking was done-some by me! Amazingly I haven’t forgotten how. I was always able to help in my daughter’s beautiful new kitchen. What a pleasure it was to work there! I learned some new tricks and even made a new dish (for me) bouillabaisse. Nice that it turned out and my husband wants it again now that we are home!

What else might I be thankful for? For now anyway, the freedom to worship my Lord God as I choose. The right to bear arms if I choose. The right to drive a car with a valid drivers license-many women in many parts of the world can’t do this. The right to choose what I want to wear, shorts, jeans, a swimsuit, but whatever I choose. Another choice many women don’t have. I work at a job I love, with men and women. Again, not a choice that many women in the world get to make. People say its for their protection. Yeah, I wonder exactly who’s protection? The one who doesn’t want her to know there is a great big world out there? I might havehave been raised “a long time ago” but one thing my parents never did to me or any of my sisters was tell us what we couldn’t be when we grew up. We are all four very different, accomplished women. And my brothers ain’t bad either!

MOST OF ALL, I am thankful what my Lord Jesus Christ did by coming down from heaven, stepping into time as a baby, growing up to be the God/Man who died on that cross at Calvary for me.

Towards the end of September we went to visit Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, FL because I couldn’t find a neurologist locally who had any experience with dura fistulas like I had had back in 2009. Dura Fistulas are extremely rare-form in the womb apparently and slowly, in my case anyway, manifest themselves. I’ve already written about the surgeries and the after effects headaches. It’s the year I first started blogging. I remember being so angry with the Lord to let another thing go wrong with me! Wow and I had no idea of the future did I? It’s a good thing I got past that anger. Anyway, the reason we went was that the soft “squishy spots have reappeared on my head and I had the headaches again. This all started after the stroke in July. I have literally had a constant headache since July 11. The good news is that they didn’t see a dura fistula in the angiogram that was finally performed. I don’t have all the results yet, but have been gone long enough that if things were an emergency, I think they would have called me. The bad news is no one has any answers either. I could have a repeat of the tiny pseudo tumor underneath my scalp, but I don’t think they are big enough to show up for someone to want to operate on them. And I really, really don’t want any more surgery of any kind this year if I don’t absolutely have to have it. So What Do I Do Now? What I have always done in the past. I turn to Jesus. He is the only one that knows all things and has all the answers. What I do know is that this keeps me totally dependent upon Him.

One of the things you do when you go to Mayo is wait a lot. So I was prepared with new books. I have always loved to read. These days not as much time to take advantage of it. And God has changed my reading habits. I used to read any and all things especially the mysteries. I grew up on Nancy Drew, the Hardy Boys, The Bobbsey Twins and Cherry Ames. I think that is what makes me a good recruiter. Being a detective, looking for the needle in the haystack… Still, there are many today that are so graphic, God stops me from reading them before I am 2 or 3 chapters in. So I was thrilled to find a new Christian mystery writer! Her name is Dee Henderson. And honestly, I have never read a book including non fiction that so clearly answers questions, coming at faith from so many different points. Points of deep loss, deep abuse or abandonment, lack of human love. God is and has always been there. Through every moment of a murder, an abuse, a lack a of love, a lie, He is there. So I highly recommend Dee Henderson. I don’t ever think you will be disappointed in anything she has written.

The other thing I have been involved in is a Bible study of the book of Daniel. For those that don’t know of Daniel, he and his 3 friends were part of the inhabitants of Jerusalem that were captured by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. He was the greatest ruler of the Neo- Babylonian period and one of the most competent monarchs of ancient times. Daniel and his three friends were part of the nobility that were taken to become a part of Babylon and go into the king’s service. Daniel 1:8 Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way. What of course happened is that Daniel and his friends were healthier than any of the other youths who were eating as the Babylonians. What I learned from that lesson what Godliness is never accidental. Neither is victory coincidental. Both stem from up-front, daily resolve-as in time with the Lord! Consistency! The life blood of integrity is becoming the same person no matter where we are-no matter who’s around. When we become people of integrity, everything we are on the inside is obvious on the outside. That was week 1!

Week 2 was about the dream King Neb had. Get this, he wanted his sorcerers and magicians to tell him what his dream was and then interpret it for him! Talk about difficult!! And if they couldn’t do it, he was going to start chopping them all into little pieces. But because Daniel prayed and asked God what the dream was and what the interpretation was, all the executions were stayed. Remember please that this young man was probably about 18 years old when he did this. But he knew his God. This is the dream and the interpretation. I am including this for those skeptics who don’t believe that God’s Word is true. Daniel 2: 27-45 Daniel replied, ” No wise man, enchanter, magician, or diviner can explain to the king the mystery he has asked about, but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries. He has shown King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in days to come. Your dream and the visions that passed through your mind as you lay on your bed are these: As your were lying there O king, your mind turned to things to come, and the revealer of mysteries showed you what is going to happen. As for me, this mystery has been revealed to me, not because I have greater wisdom than other living men, but so that you, O king, may know the interpretation and that you may understand what went through your mind. You looked, O king, and there before you stood a large statue–an enormous, dazzling statue, awesome in appearance. The head of the statute was made of pure gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze, and its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of baked clay. While you were watching, a rock was cut out but not by human hands. It struck the statute on its feet of iron and clay and smashed them. Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver and the gold were broken into pieces at the same time and became like chaff on a threshing floor in the summer. The wind swept them away without leaving a trace. But the rock that struck the statue became a huge mountain and filled the whole earth. This was the dream, and now we will interpret it to the king. You, O king, are the king of kings. The God of heaven has given you dominion and power and might and glory; in your hands he has placed mankind and the beasts of the field and the birds of the air. Wherever they live, he has made you ruler over them all. You are that head of gold. After you, another kingdom will rise, inferior to yours. Next, a third kingdom, one of bronze will rule over the whole earth. Finally, there will be a fourth kingdom, strong as iron–for iron breaks and smashes everything–and as iron breaks things to pieces, so it will crush and break all the others. Just as you saw that the feet and toes were partly of baked clay and partly of iron, so this will be a divided kingdom; yet it will have some of the strength of iron in it, even as you saw iron mixed with clay. As the toes were partly iron and partly clay, so this kingdom will be partly strong and partly brittle that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever. This is the meaning of the vision of the rock cut out of a mountain, but not by human hands– a rock that broke the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver and the gold to pieces.

The God of Heaven knows all things. These are the kingdoms being spoken of: Head of Gold-Kingdom of Babylon, Chest and Arms of Silver-Medes and the Persians, Belly and Thighs of Bronze-Greeks(Alexander the Great), Legs of Iron-The Roman Empire, The Feet–the kingdom to come -perhaps even now forming among the European and Roma countries?

Of course Daniel’s words of prophecy were true because every kingdom announced came one after the other. That is how you know a true prophet, you know. He is never wrong.

I think that is enough for today even though we are already up to Daniel 6 this last week. What I can tell you is that I don’t want to be absorbed into the Babylon that is our world. That is the one lesson from the Lord that has been constant with me every week. I’ll do my best not to wait another month to post! I’ll be way too far behind.

WOW! I sure got a lot of action with that last post! I know that Islam, Muslims, ISLA, are all hot topics today. Imagine my surprise when former FL Rep Allen West came out today with his report of why Obama is an Islamist! God knew what I was going to write just as He Knew what Rep. West was going to write. Why are these things important? Because my God is also all-loving, most compassionate and full of mercy. He has prompted His people to write now as in times past to alert people about things that are happening (as well as going to happen). Ido not claim to be a prophet–not at all. However, I do listen to what my Father says when He wants me to post something. I have said that often enough in most anything I have posted. Last night after that post with the speech, I went right to bed. As I lay there waiting for sleep to come, I felt in my spirit, my Lord telling me that I needed to follow up with His Good News.

Please stay with me as I go through this with you. It may be really important information for you–if not today, then someday.

Most of you will have already noticed that I talk about a personal God, (my and Father probably gave it away!) One thing you may not know is that my God, the God of the Universe, the Creator, the Father of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Peter, Paul , John and so many others, is the onlyGod of any kind to have a relationship with His followers? No other religion’s god does that. Another thing, my God has created a Holy Book, well, it’s actually 66 books, written by 40 different authors, most of whom didn’t know each other personally. They came from a variety of backgrounds: shepherds, fishermen, doctors, kings, prophets and others. It was written in 3 different languages (Hebrew, Greek and Aramaic) on 3 different continents, over a period of 1500 years. It has a common storyline throughout each book, of God and His love and forgiveness and mercy. There are no historical errors or contradictions. Anyonewho has studied any kind of laws of averages, knows that unless God wrote those Books, through the authors, there would be no way that ordinary man could have accomplished that!

For me to continue now, using Holy Scriptures, you see why it was important that you understand where they came from. From the beginning, God has always had plan to rescue man. He has always known that none of us could ever be perfect enough to come into His heaven. That is why He sent His Son, prophesied from Genesis and continually through the Old Testament, even to His flogging and method of death, although it had not even been invented yet! Here is the first scripture, Genesis 3: 15 And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he (the Messiah) will crush your head, and you will strike his heel. (crucifixion) Then, I am going to skip over to Isaiah 53. Bear with me, there is a lot of important scripture here. Starting in verse 1 through 9: Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? He grew up before him like a shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised and we esteemed him not. Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. By oppression and judgment he was taken away. And who can speak of his descendants? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgressions of my people he was stricken. He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was their any deceit in his mouth.

If you have never read that passage before, that is Isaiah’s description of the Messiah’s trials, beatings and crucifixion. It even talks about the fact that Jesus never defended himself…hundreds of years before it happened. And yes, our Lord was assigned a grave with the wicked, but a rich man, a believer, gave him his tomb. I hope that this will make you want to read for yourself the accounts of Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the Savior of the world’s crucifixion. You can read about it in Matthew 26: 47- 27:60, Mark 14: 43-15:47, Luke 22:47-23:54 and John 18:1-19:42.

Thank our God and Father the story doesn’t end there! If you keep reading in each of those books, to the end of the chapters, you will read of the glorious resurrection of Jesus Christ, who conquered death and rose to sit at the right hand of the Father.

So for those of you who have stuck with me so far, thank you, but the reward will be yours. Let me leave you with 3 more scriptures… some of my favorites.

John 1:12 Yet to all who received him (Jesus), to those he gave the right to become the children of God.

John 14:6 Jesus answered and said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me”.

Revelation 3:20 Here I am! (the Holy Spirit of God) I stand at the door (of your heart) and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and abide (stay forever) with him/her and he/her with me.

Very simply to become a child of the most high God, you have to accept His Son. There is no other way, no other religion. The way you do it, is ask Him to forgive you for going your own way-which is never His way! because we just aren’t perfect people! Then you simply ask Him to come into your heart and He will! He always keeps His promises! It sounds too simple doesn’t it? But Jesus said it was so simple a child could understand and do it and many do. I wasn’t one of those. I had to go my own way for many years, but I am so glad that I made the decision to ask Him into my heart on June 20, 1971. I have been anything but a perfect woman since, but God has never let me go and keeps me closer than ever now. It has been a growing process of getting to know Him, getting to know His Word. If I studied all day, everyday of every year, I still would not be able to know and understand all that is there, but that’s certainly the challenge of it! Learning and understanding.